This invention relates to conditioning machines having powered floor conditioning rotating elements which engage the floor, and especially to floor scrubbing machines having powered rotary brushes. The invention provides floor conditioning machines having unique anti-vibration brush mounting mechanism. The novel apparatus could be employed on machines for hard surface floor scrubbing, carpet cleaning/scrubbing, surface sweeping, floor polishing, and floor sanding.
Floor conditioning machines, particularly floor scrubbing machines, especially those using horizontally oriented cylindrical scrub brushes, often exhibit excessive vibration with accompanying brush chatter, noise, and lost scrubbing performance. This occurs with vibration of the brushes on the floor surface and especially with polymeric cylindrical brushes which tend to be more aggressive. Depending upon various floor surface characteristics over which the brushes move, a harmonic vibration can occur which is highly disruptive. Several techniques have been tried in the past in efforts to eliminate this undesirable tendency.
The present invention will be illustrated as applied to a floor scrubbing type of floor conditioning machine. It combats scrubber vibration and chattering with a special scrubber brush suspension apparatus. The suspension employs anti-vibration friction pad elements retained in a balanced biased relationship to a fixed member, to dampen vibration in a manner to combat excessive vibration, particularly harmonic vibration. These friction pad elements are biased against the fixed member by a pair of counterbalancing springs which allow lateral rocking and shifting of the brush assembly to accommodate uneven floor surfaces, while also controlling vibration.
These and several other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon studying the following description in conjunction with the drawings.